Egypt to start restoration of tomb Tutankhamen

November 11, 2009

Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) announced on Tuesday that it is about to start restoration and management of tomb Tutankhamen in cooperation with J. Paul Getty Trust Conservation Institute (GCI), a statement said.

"I was happy when we CT scanned the mummy of King Tut in order to reveal the secrets of his family, but now I am even more thrilled to invite the GCI to restore his tomb and return the glory of the boy king," said Dr. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the SCA.

According to the statement, the renovation project will last for the next five years as it will start with a period of research and assessment, including the preparation of an accurate record of the condition of the tomb and its wall paintings.

"I always see the tomb of King Tut and wonder about those spots, which no scientist has been able to explain," Hawass said.

"It has been a privilege to work in Egypt on projects in the past, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to do so again," said James N. Wood, president and CEO of the Getty Trust.

"We have great respect for the efforts made by our colleagues in Egypt to preserve their nation's wealth of cultural heritage, and look forward to working with them to address the conservation issues of this significant site," Wood added.

The tomb is located in the Valley of the Kings within the World Heritage site of Ancient Thebes. The tomb of Tutankhamen is perhaps the most famous of Egypt's Pharaonic tombs.

Although it is the smallest of the 26 known royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the burial place of this short-lived 18th Dynasty pharaoh was found by British archaeologist Howard Carter on Nov. 4, 1922, with its spectacular funerary contents virtually intact.

The tomb's extraordinary collection of artifacts -- including numerous gold objects -- is now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and has fascinated museum visitors for decades.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/6809467.html.